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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings, Torture and Big Money |
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June 12th,
2008 - Marine in Iraq Case Jailed for Refusing to Testify News article by the Associated
Press |
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Marine in Iraq Case Jailed
for Refusing to Testify By Greg Risling Associated Press June 12, 2008 Riverside, Calif. - A Marine
charged with murder in the 2004 death of an Iraqi detainee during combat
operations in Fallujah was jailed Thursday for refusing to testify before a
federal grand jury. Sgt. Ryan G. Weemer's
attorney told the judge that his client opted not to testify for fear of
self-incrimination. The sergeant did not speak before U.S. District Court
Judge Stephen Larson found him in contempt of court. Weemer, of Hindsboro, Ill.,
can be held for up to 18 months unless he decides to testify or until the
grand jury is excused. He was to be held at either a federal detention center
in downtown Los Angeles or a San Bernardino County jail. Grand jury proceedings are
secret and there was no mention in court of what it is investigating. It is
known through military justice proceedings, however, that a grand jury is
investigating Weemer's former squad member Jose Nazario. Federal prosecutors in
Riverside have charged Nazario with voluntary manslaughter in the killing of
two Iraqi captives in Fallujah. Nazario, 27, of Riverside, has pleaded not
guilty. He is no longer in the Marine Corps. Weemer is accused of
shooting an unarmed captive in November 2004 during some of the heaviest
fighting of the war. His case is still pending at Camp Pendleton. One of his
attorneys has said Weemer did nothing wrong. Copyright © 2008 The
Associated Press. External link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gJBGkERPk8ZiV1rYMiNrLa2yvSpgD918VP0O0 Marine jailed in Fallujah
case By North County Times June 12, 2008 Riverside - A second Marine
has been found in contempt of court for refusing to testify before a federal
grand jury and has been ordered to jail. Sgt. Ryan G. Weemer, charged
with murder in the death of an Iraqi detainee in Fallujah in 2004, appeared in
uniform before U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Larson on Thursday and was
ordered into custody after a brief hearing Thursday. Weemer can be held for up to
18 months unless he decides to testify before the grand jury. The jury is investigating
Weemer's former squad leader, Jose Nazario, who is no longer in the Marine
Corps. Nazario is charged with voluntary manslaughter in the killing of two
Iraqi captives during fighting in Fallujah in November 2004. He has pleaded
not guilty. Last month, a third defendant
in the case, Sgt. Jermaine Nelson, spent a week in jail when he refused to
answer the grand jury's questions. A judge freed him after he agreed to
appear before the panel next week and at least hear the questions that jurors
may ask. Like Weemer, Nelson is
charged with one count of unpremeditated murder. Investigative hearings for
the two Marines to decide whether their charges will stand will take place at
Camp Pendleton later this year. External link: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/12/military/z01ad18f1adfe84a888257466007ed247.txt |